7 Marten Trapping Tips, Tricks and Techniques

Trapping Marten is a nice change of pace when it comes to the trapping game. Marten trapping forces one the to take a scenic drive or hike into the chillier elevations that they inhabit; and often, the breath-taking view is usually almost as much fun as trapping the marten.

Marten also are quite unique among furbearers in that they have several variations to the color of their fur depending upon the exact area where you’re trapping them. Whatever your reason for seeking the marten; this article aims to provide its reader with helpful marten trapping tips that could save them several months of frustration.

For more detailed information on the various other aspects of marten trapping, please visit our articles on [Marten Trapping Sets], [How to Trap a Marten] and [Best Bait for Trapping Marten].

So without further ado, here are our Top 7 Tips on Trapping Marten, in no particular order:

Since the conibear trap is what you’ll be using for most of your marten trapping sets, it is important to choose the right model and size for the job at hand. Since the marten is not generally as aggressive as the fisher cat, it is a good idea to stick to the 120 conibear trap if you have the opportunity, or perhaps even the 110.

The leaning pole set is a very useful set for trapping marten during the winter, when they are generally more inclined to climb the pole to take a break from plowing through the snow.

Beaver meat is the ideal bait for marten trapping sets. Keep the carcass whole and the meat as fresh as you can manage.

An important point to keep in mind when using beaver meat as bait with the leaning pole set is that it is best to nail or tie down the meat as securely as possible. Also, it would be a good idea to keep the bait covered to keep any nearby birds from getting too close to the trap.

Marten trap locations can be identified by tracking their favorite prey, the pine squirrels. Just look around for pine trees with several shredded pine cones strewn around them. The base of these trees make for ideal cubby set locations and the trees themselves are ideal as the supports for leaning pole sets.

A few drops of skunk essence mixed with fish oil is the ideal long range lure for trapping marten. However, you could use strawberry preserve in a pinch with similar results.

If you’re using a live cage trap to capture marten as a means of pest control, do keep in mind that they can get a bit rowdy when you’re trying to release them. It might also be a good idea to pad the inside of the cage with some suitably soft material because they can sometimes kill themselves by repeatedly ramming into the sides of the metal cage.

One last thing to keep in mind is that marten can be rabid on occasion, so wear gloves when handling them and get any bites or scratches looked at by a doctor immediately.